Pieces of Penny
by Muffled Chimes
Summary: A series of drabbles about Penelope Clearwater, for the "Minor Characters Drabble Challenge" on HPFC. Will include PC/PW
1. Shakespeare

**Shakespeare**

Penelope had always been a very firm believer in logic and reason. As a child, chess was her favorite game, and she was a match for girls twice her age. When her acceptance letter had arrived, it had taken her quite a while to get over her skepticism about the probability of magic actually being real. However, despite this, she had always found something irresistible about the story of Romeo and Juliet. Of course, the idea of falling in love so quickly was preposterous, at best. At least, she thought so. After noticing that Penelope kept a copy of the play with her at all times, her Potions partner, Percy, slipped her a note. It read:

_Did my heart love till now?_

_Forswear it, sight!_

_For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night._

Perhaps it wasn't so preposterous after all.


	2. Prince Charming

**Prince Charming**

She never believed in fairy-tale princes, and always scoffed at those who did – you couldn't count on a man to save you. It was more efficient to be self-relying. Of course, Percy was nothing like the Prince Charming in those stories; he was tall and awkward, with a nervous smile, horn-rimmed glasses, and his voice quivered when he was uncertain. He didn't have a white horse, or a sword, or a sidekick that did all the work for him while he took the credit. He couldn't sweep her off her feet and ride into the sunset. But to her, he was better than those fictional exaggerations of perfection; he was real.


	3. Perfect

**Perfect**

Their first date was far from perfect. Percy met her in Hogsmeade during one of the trips, and they were immediately very awkward. As they made their way to the Three Broomsticks, Percy hardly looked at her, occasionally stealing a quick glance and smiling giddily before looking away again.

They chose a booth toward the back, because Percy didn't want anyone to see them. (Penelope caught him muttering, "My brothers would never let me hear the end of it if they saw me with a girl." She didn't question it.)

For the most part, though, the main part of their outing went well. They talked, slowly getting to know one another, and relaxing. Percy even laughed a few times – properly, not just that nervous giggle that he sometimes let out. Of course, he quickly grew embarrassed again, the back of his neck turning bright red as he realized that he couldn't pay for their drinks.

Penelope had assured him that she didn't mind, but he had apologised profusely anyway. It would take her a good month to convince him that she really didn't care about the contents of his bank account – something he seemed to find very hard to believe.


	4. Quill

**Quill**

For their oh-so-important three month anniversary, Percy really went all out. He surprised her with a bouquet of her favourite flowers, having them waiting for her on her bed when she got back from class. How he got them there was beyond her – boys couldn't get to the girls' dormitories, and no one admitted to helping him, when she asked.

Inside the group of roses (white, not red), was a small card, telling her to meet him by the lake. Not wasting any time, she grabbed her coat, and hurried out onto the grounds. She found Percy under one of the large trees, sitting on a blanket that he'd spread over the grass. He'd gone to the kitchens, and requested a basket of food, which they shared happily. As they ate and chatted amiably, it struck Penelope just how easy this had become, and how comfortable she was.

By the end, Percy had presented her with a lovely wooden box.

"For me?" she said in surprise. She hadn't gotten him anything; she wasn't even aware that you _gave_ presents on the three month mark.

He nodded, smiling as she moved to open it. Once the lid was up, she drew in a sharp breath, running her fingers along what was – or looked to be – a very expensive peacock feather quill. Percy must have saved up for weeks to get this.

"Oh, Percy," she said, closing the box, "this is much too much."

He just smiled and shook his head. "You can use it to write me over the summer holidays, and it will be worth it."

When she got back to the dorm, she put the box carefully into her trunk. She would _only_ use it to write to him. She wouldn't open the box again until the first weekend of summer, when she would sit down to write a carefully constructed letter, explaining to him how to work a telephone, just in case he wanted to call her sometime.


	5. That Dress Colour Looks Really Nice

**That Dress Colour Looks Really Nice on You**

To say the least, dancing was not one of Penelope's strong points. Neither, she reflected as she browsed through the store's wide selection of dress robes, was picking out clothes for the ball. How did other girls find this so easy? There were so many colours to choose from, and so many different lengths, and styles – it made her head swim.

Of course she'd said yes when Percy asked. What kind of girlfriend would she be if she didn't? But she didn't have a dress, she didn't know how to fix her hair, and she certainly didn't know how to dance. She was made for research and reading, not frivolous school dances that made her heart pound with girlish excitement.

How long had she been in this shop? A glance toward the front of the store told her that she'd been there a while; the manager was looking far less than pleased. After all, she hadn't even come close to buying anything yet. So, with a sigh, she picked through the rack of dresses just one more time, determined to make a sensible purchase at last. Eventually, she settled on a gown in deep blue. And, by the look on Percy's face when she met him in the Great Hall, she'd done pretty well. For a Ravenclaw.


End file.
